Amnesty blasts Bahrain's reform efforts

LONDON, Nov. 21 (UPI) -- "Half-hearted" efforts to address serious human rights concerns in Bahrain aren't enough for grievous violations, Amnesty International said.

Bahrain last year announced it was considering recommendations made in a report on the unrest from the Bahrain Independent Commission of Inquiry. BICI concluded state security forces used unnecessary lethal force during a crackdown last year.

Amnesty International, however, said there are serious human rights issues in Bahrain despite the government's pledges of reform.

"The government is refusing to release scores of prisoners who are incarcerated because they called for meaningful political reforms and is failing to address the (Shiite) majority's deeply seated sense of discrimination and political marginalization, which has exacerbated sectarian divides in the country," the advocacy group said in a statement.

Bahrain, after much deliberation, hosts the Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix this weekend. The event was canceled in 2011 because of the security situation in the country.

"The international community must not turn a blind eye to the ongoing human rights crisis in the country," Amnesty International stated. "The government must understand that its half-hearted measures are not sufficient -- sustained progress on real human rights reform remains essential."